She possessed a talent for writing and drawing, she played guitar and piano, and she was also sporty, competing at state level in cross country and swimming, while also playing soccer and netball.

An animal lover, Billie adored spending time with her pets, including horses, dogs, rabbits and chickens, and she was also a champion showjumper.

Billie loved school and was chosen as a junior prefect in her Grade 6 class, with teachers and peers recognising her as a kind and compassionate friend and role model.

Billie loved sunflowers. And Taylor Swift. And she was affectionately referred to as a “fruit bat” by her family, as her favourite food – other than ice cream – was all kinds of fruit.

But Billie’s greatest gift was her kindness and generous spirit. She held a genuine care for others, she “empathised with everyone and everything” and she was a “deep little soul” who possessed an innate understanding of issues like bullying, racism and injustice, well beyond her years.

So when Billie died suddenly in a tragic equestrian accident seven years ago, it seemed fitting that a foundation promoting kindness should be established in her honour.

And that not-for-profit organisation – the b kinder foundation – now has a new presence in Tasmania, with the aim of spreading Billie’s message of kindness in schools across the state while improving mental health and wellbeing among primary school children.

The organisation was started by Billie’s parents – mum Danny Mayson-Kinder and dad Dave Kinder – in the months after Billie’s death, as a way to honour their daughter’s memory.

The couple relocated to Tasmania from Sydney two months ago for a lifestyle change, now living by the water at Primrose Sands.

And part of their new life in Tasmania involves promoting a cause close to their heart, as they honour Billie’s legacy.

The b kinder foundation offers evidence-based wellbeing programs and resources to schools, encouraging children to become kinder, more empathetic and more compassionate, ultimately helping to improve mental health and reduce bullying and suicide in young people.

There is also a national b kinder day (June 22), when schools and workplaces are encouraged to inject more kindness and inclusivity into their communities, as well as an annual walk for a kinder world event on World Kindness Day, on November 13.

Danny says with mental health issues among young people becoming a growing concern in Australia and across the world, the organisation aims to implement preventive strategies to empower and inspire children, build resilience and wellbeing and remind us all that our actions matter and that we each have the power to make a difference through kindness.

Danny never imagined how successful and widespread the foundation would become, and says the organisation had “grown organically” following Billie’s death in 2016.

A talented poet and artist, Billie had always wanted to write a book to showcase her work.

“Billie was always writing and drawing, and she would often say, ‘Mum and Dad, I want to write a book, what should I write about?’’ Danny explains, adding that her daughter had won an academic scholarship for high school based on her poetry and stories.

“When she died, it became a really big thing to me that she never got to write her book.’’

So Danny gathered Billie’s artwork and poems – including the final poem Billie ever wrote which was titled Hope – and collated them into a book, also called Hope.

It was intended as a family keepsake, but there was such strong interest in the book that Danny started selling copies to honour her daughter’s memory and raise money for charity.

She registered her own charity – flyhighbillie – to manage the money from the sale of the books, and funds were initially donated to Assistance Dogs Australia, funding the purchase of a dog called Hope, for a girl with cerebral palsy, followed by another dog, Billie, for a veteran with post traumatic stress disorder.

Meanwhile the principal of Billie’s school – Arndell Anglican College – approached Danny, wanting to dedicate a special day to honour Billie. Coincidentally he suggested June 22, which also happened to be Danny’s birthday.

“It was very serendipitous,’’ she says of the date.

“Billie died two weeks before my 50th birthday. Not wanting to celebrate my birthday anymore, it seems fitting that this is now b kinder day and my busiest day of the year.’’

When Danny sat down to come up with a name for that special day, which was first held in 2018, she realised Billie’s first initial, combined with their surname Kinder (pronounced like kindergarten) read as b kinder. The perfect name for a day to honour a special girl known for her kindness.

Danny says there was an intangible quality about Billie, that endeared her daughter to anyone who was lucky enough to meet her.

Because not only was she kind, compassionate, caring, empathetic and thoughtful, but she was also wise beyond her years and radiated joy with a laugh that was “truly unique, infectious, earth-moving and unforgettable”.

“Billie was quite extraordinary … she had a zest for life and wanted to try everything,’’ Danny says of her daughter, who excelled academically and socially.

“Everyone that met her would say that there was ‘just something about Billie’. In fact, when she started school in Sydney, on her very first day in Grade 4, the teacher apparently went into the staffroom and said ‘there is something very special about the little girl who’s just joined us’.

“Billie just empathised with everyone and everything.’’

Danny says Billie had a great love for her family, her friends, and for animals, but also for society more broadly.

“Billie’s greatest gift was her heart,’’ Danny says.

“She had such an ability to give. She gave through her smile, her thoughtfulness, her acts of kindness and her amazing gift of words. People looked at Billie and saw an openness and innocence that inspired them to believe. She was a daily reminder of all that is good in the world.’’

It was this reminder that shone through in Billie's book, which made it a much sought-after publication.

There have now been more than 8000 copies sold in at least 14 countries.

As the book began to circulate in the community, Danny began hearing from parents who found that Billie’s book was sparking important conversations with their children about mental health and wellbeing that they wouldn’t otherwise have had. And when Danny started looking at the alarming statistics around suicide, anxiety and mental health issues in young people, it made her realise that something proactive needed to be done to tackle such a serious issue.

“As a 12-year-old girl, Billie wrote about 12-year-old things,’’ Danny explains of the book.

“She wrote about family and dreams and love and all that stuff. But she also wrote about deeper issues, like bullying, racism, and injustice. She was a really deep little soul. And basically, what happened, was I started getting parents coming to me, saying the book had instigated conversations with their children [on topics] that they didn’t normally talk about.

“We were really lucky – I’ve got the most incredible mum and dad and brothers and extended family. I grew up in a happy little bubble, then I got married to a beautiful man and had two beautiful children. I probably wasn’t really as aware as I could have been about those sorts of statistics, I didn’t really understand that people were suffering as much as they were.

“But suddenly people were coming to me and saying my son is being bullied or my daughter is self-harming, or my son is depressed, or my daughter has anxiety. And I didn’t realise all this was going on. I was blown away that children were feeling this stuff and that Billie’s words were resonating with these children.’’

Danny worked with teachers and psychologists, as well as early learning consultant Dr Cathie Harrison (a long-serving adviser to ABC TV series Play School) to create positive and interactive workbooks for primary schools which are designed to align with specific learning outcomes surrounding personal development, relationships, health, and wellbeing within the Australian school curriculum.

flyhighbillie now trades as b kinder foundation and the organisation has become a full-time job for Danny. Dave works full-time in another job, but remains her “sounding board” when it comes to b kinder.

The couple are loving life in Tasmania.

Originally from Airlie Beach, in Queensland’s Whitsundays, the family moved to Sydney temporarily in September 2013, so their horse-loving daughters Charlie and Billie could compete in national showjumping competitions.

Dave took long service leave from his job, and Danny recalls loading up their vehicle and trailer with “two kids, two horses and two dogs” and setting off for a seven-month adventure in Sydney, where she homeschooled her daughters when they were not competing in showjumping.

They ended up extending their time in Sydney, and the girls settled into regular school life at Arndell Anglican College. And Billie was described as one of the best junior showjumping riders in NSW.

But sadly their future did not play out the way they had intended, as Billie was killed in a horse accident in May 2016.

The Kinders continued to live in Sydney as they grieved the loss of their beloved Billie – as Danny couldn’t bear to return to Airlie Beach without her youngest daughter. But more recently a Tasmanian job offer came up for Dave – who works as a maritime training officer for Seafood and Maritime Training, teaching commercial marine tickets – leading Danny and Dave to Tasmania.

They feel at home by the water in Primrose Sands, and say despite the cooler weather, life in Tasmania is similar in many ways to living in the Whitsundays.

Their home overlooks the beach and they both love boating and diving.

“I just always wanted to come to Tasmania,’’ Danny explains.

They visited the state for a holiday in late 2021 and quickly decided to move here.

“We drove around for a week, and I saw this house, and that was it,’’ Danny recalls.

Houses were far more affordable than Sydney, so they purchased the house with the intention of eventually retiring in Tasmania. But when a Tasmanian job offer came up for Dave, they decided to make the move earlier than originally planned.

Danny, who previously worked as a photographer, remains the chief executive of the b kinder foundation, and will continue to run the organisation from her Tasmanian base, but she has also employed two part-time staff in Sydney to help keep up with demand.

There are now close to 150 schools in Australia that take part in b kinder day each year, as well as schools in various parts of the world including South Africa, the UK, Cambodia and India.

There are 48 schools currently using the b kinder workbooks, and the organisation recently received a Department of Education Student Wellbeing Innovation Fund grant to enhance student wellbeing in 14 additional schools in NSW.

Danny hopes to attract similar government funding in Tasmania, to introduce the program into primary schools across the state.

She’s also recently launched a new initiative – a student-led program – which encourages student leaders to help build and maintain a culture of kindness within their school, earning their school a reputation as a b kinder school.

Mission Australia figures show one in four secondary school students and one in seven primary school students suffer from a mental health condition – and behavioural and psychological issues, particularly those that begin in early childhood, are among the strongest predictors of serious health and social problems in adulthood.

Figures also show about one in four Australian students from Grades 4-9 report being frequently bullied, while four in 10 students are concerned about coping with stress, body image, school or study problems.

Meanwhile anxiety levels among young people have increased significantly in the past decade and figures from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare show suicide remains the leading cause of death among young Australians. About 350 young people aged 15-24 take their own lives every year. And for every youth suicide, there are 100 to 200 more attempts (as many as 70,000 attempts each year).

Danny believes prevention and early intervention are vital, with b kinder programs designed to initiate discussions surrounding emotions and help kids better understand and regulate their emotions, while also helping them to identify and develop their strengths and recognise and celebrate the strengths of others.

“We need to start at the beginning, to teach kindness and empathy and compassion,’' Danny says. “We really want to embed a different way of being.”

And impact reports suggest the b kinder model is working, with children who have taken part in the programs demonstrating an increased ability to share their thoughts and feelings, to more easily make friends, and to better understand their emotions and the emotions of others. Students had greater feelings of importance and felt valued.

Students also reported feeling less angry, less sad and less lonely after taking part in the b kinder program, and felt better able to cope and adapt when faced with unexpected events and challenges in life.

Danny says it’s pleasing to see the growing success of the b kinder foundation, but it’s also heartbreaking when the organisation evolved following the death of her daughter.

“For me, it’s bittersweet,’' she says.

“I’m so proud of Billie, she was always going to change the world.

“She actually wrote a poem just before she died, and I took it to her teacher, and I said ‘she wrote this in 20 minutes’. And he said ‘I’m so excited to see where Billie’s going to go and what she’s going to do’.’’

She says Billie once wrote “I know I’m only 12, but I believe I can make a difference”.

“It is bittersweet, because she would have changed the world,’’ Danny says. “But in a funny kind of way she is still doing that. So many children come up to me, and they say ‘I want to be like Billie, I want to make a difference’. I think it’s incredible that Billie’s words are having such an impact.’’

Danny still visits schools regularly to share Billie’s kindness legacy with students, a task that isn’t without challenges.

“For me, I promised that I would spread her words, her way of being, and to see her inspiring these children, it keeps part of her alive for me,’’ she says.

“Obviously there are young girls there, just like Billie – it’s hard because Billie will forever be 12, I look at 12-year-old girls and I wish she was one of them.

“There was one little boy, I asked if he liked the workbook, and he said ‘I really like it, because every time we use it, then when we go out into the playground, everyone is nice to each other’.’’

And she says it is that sort of real and positive feedback that keeps her going.

Billie would be 19 now. Her older sister, Charlie, was about to turn 16 when Billie died.

Charlie is now 23 and is back in Queensland, working as a skipper on boats in the Whitsundays.

Danny describes her eldest daughter as “really remarkable”, saying she has made an “amazing life for herself” despite enduring the devastating loss of losing a sibling.

“We are a really close-knit family, we had a saying ‘one in, all in’. And Charlie and Billie were really close. When parents lose a child, the focus is very much on the parent. And now I look back on how horrific it must have been for Charlie, to see your parents on the floor – they’re supposed to be the strong ones for you. It was a mess for a long time’’.

Seven years on from Billie’s death, Danny still finds it hard to believe her daughter is gone, as she learns to live with such immeasurable loss.

“The loss of Billie is still incomprehensible, I still don’t believe it most of the time, I still think I’ll wake up from a coma and she’ll be here,’’ she says.

“People say ‘I don’t know how you do it’. But one, there’s no choice. And two, I promised I’d get up every day for Charlie.’’ •

For more information about b kinder foundation, or to purchase a copy of Billie Kinder’s book Hope, visit bkinderfoundation.org